The Roshni Alumni Association and the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru, will jointly present their first Roshni Impact awards to six persons here on Saturday.
The Community Catalyst Award will be presented to N. Joshua Jayaseelan of Madras Christian College, whose work in youth development, community transformation, and international collaborations has strengthened child protection, environmental awareness, and grassroots empowerment, according to a release.
The Mind Matters award goes to Anish V. Cherian of NIMHANS, Bengaluru, a psychiatric social work leader.
Justice Trailblazer award will be given to advocate Flavia Agnes, co-founder of the MAJLIS Legal Centre, whose four decades of feminist legal advocacy have supported many survivors of violence.
The Earth Guardian award recognises the environmental leadership of Jeeth Milan Roche, whose dedication has resulted in the planting of many trees and creation of over 15 Miyawaki forests in Mangaluru.
Special awards
In addition, two special awards will be presented during the event.
The Kudla Beacon award will be given away to Michael D’Souza, an NRI philanthropist whose exceptional community work includes major contributions to education, housing, and empowerment initiatives, such as ₹33.5 crore in interest-free educational loans and support for more than 417 homes for families in need, the release said.
The Nazneen Abdulla Yenepoya Special Jury award will be presented to Poonam Pardeshi of Perkins India, a national disability-inclusion champion who, despite being visually impaired since birth, has spent two decades transforming accessible education, advocacy, technology integration, and training for inclusion across India.
The awards are aimed at recognising the “invisible” work of social workers, activists, environmentalists, mental-health professionals, human-rights advocates, and community leaders who labour quietly to uplift society, the release said.
Ravindranath Shanbhag, president of the Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi, and Ahmed Kabeer, an inspiring young entrepreneur, YouTuber, will be the guests on the occasion.
The awards will be presented at 5 p.m. at Roshni Nilaya, Valencia.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)